From 1977 to 1986, he was a member of the Japanese band SLAPSTICK (スラップスティック), on lead guitar, with the other voice actors Toshio Furukawa (rhythm guitar), Yūji Mitsuya (keyboards; replaced by Hirotaka Suzuoki in 1984), Tōru Furuya (drums), Akira Kamiya (bass), and Akio Nojima (Saga in Saint Seiya and KITT in Knight Rider). In 2007, SLAPSTICK got together to pay tribute to former band members Hirotaka Suzuoki and Kazuyuki Sogabe.